© Alfred Cop Photography
After 17 years, HCAW Bussum will again participate in the Holland Series 2022, which kick off this evening at 7.30pm in Rotterdam, facing the Neptunus. The Gialloblù from small Bussum, a city between Amsterdam and Utrecht, surprisingly qualified by beating the reigning L&D Amsterdam Pirates champions in three out of four matches of the semifinals. The three starting pitchers of the HCAW (Lars Huijer, Jim Ploeger and Dennis Burgersdijk) were fundamental, but the winger Victor Draijer, who returned to Holland after his experience in Neptune, was decisive in attack. In the other semi-final, Rotterdam’s Curacao Neptunus eliminated the Oosterhout Twins with a sweep of three wins out of as many races. Thursday evening on the pitch in Rotterdam for the first final match, Saturday game-2 in Bussum and game-3 on Sunday in Rotterdam.
THE HOOFDKLASSE 2022 – To have a competition with more attractive races, the Dutch Federation KNBSB has launched a season with numerous phases. The first with 9 teams ended with Neptunus first in the standings with 21 wins out of 24, HCAW with 20 out of 24, Pirates with 17 out of 24 and Twins with 12 out of 24. The second phase grouped these top four companies by play 18 races. The final ranking saw the Pirates, 2021 champions, leading with 12 wins out of 18 races, the Neptunus with 10 out of 18, the HCAW with 9 out of 18 and the Twins with 3 out of 18. Fatale was for the Amsterdam favorites the third phase of the championship concentrated in a weekend of 3 games against Neptunus. The Pirates have lost the series and have faced in the playoffs with the HCAW, always very competitive in every phase of the season. For Neptunus against the Twins everything was easy, three races (7-2, 4-2 and 10-3) in four days were enough to take first place in the Holland Series.
THE OTHER SEMIFINAL – The series between Amsterdam and Bussum is more spectacular. Race-1 in Amsterdam remained unsigned until the eleventh round, when the lower part of the guest lineup beat 4 of the 5 points scored on the Mike Groen relief in Amsterdam at home. HCAW wins 5-0 at the home of the Pirates. Game-2 at Bussum was dominated by the Pirates from the first inning with a shut-out (4-0) from ex-Major League pitcher Shairon Martis who completed 9 rounds. Race-3 in Amsterdam was also won by the guests thanks to left-handed pitcher Jim Ploeger in a complete race, over 10 rounds. One hundred and forty-nine pitches were enough to beat the champions at home 4-2 with just one point earned on the pitcher. 2-1 in the series for the HCAW returned to Bussum to host Race-4. Starting for the HCAW was Lars Huijer, also a complete race for him. During 9 shoots, 131 launches were granted, granting only 4 singles in Amsterdam. Decisive for the hosts was right fielder Victor Draijer, who in the batter’s box produced a single and a 1-0 score in the first half, a double in the third by beating home the 2-0 and home run of the 3-1 in the eighth round. Bussum thus wins the series 3-1.
